Race Entry Status (Arrowhead 135 & TransIowa)

Well last week I sent in my registration for Arrowhead 135, and today I sent in my post card for TransIowa.

Guess I’m committed to anther year of ultra racing (if I make the entry list for these events).

In addition, to my normal winter riding schedule, I’ll be working on building a new racing bike for both of these races. I'll be soliciting some of you for ideas on what makes the best (read fastest & most reliable) snow bike... my goals this winter riding season are:

1. Build a fast sub 30 lbs ultimate winter bike
2. Finish (and win) Arrowhead 135
3. Finish (and win) TransIowa (I rode the year we had 30+ mph headwinds, rain, sleet, unimaginable mud). Joe Frost and Jeff Spahn shamed me into giving it another shot.

2006 was a disappointing year for me when it comes to Ultra racing (between the mandatory time cutoff at TransIowa (was tied for second at 12 hours), and my support crew letting me sleep for 6 hours at the 24 hour US Nationals @ 9 Mile – was supposed to be 30 minutes)… Although that extra training did pay off, the week before TransIowa I smoked the field at the USCF Eagle Point Crit (first place always sooths the sole) and the wife and I podiummed (2nd) for the first time at the beloved Cheq 40 on a fixie tandem! So not all was bad.

2007 was a rest year for the most part, rode a number of my usual shorter events:

• Colesburg 40 Gravel (2nd place overall with my wife on our new custom-built 29” Vicious tandem – such a sweet ride!)
• Cheq40 (2nd place mixed tandem with my wife – second year in a row and 10+ minutes faster on our new monster)
• Ore2Shore (Major mechanicals & flats but still pulled off a 4th place class finish)
• Blockhouse Roll (never a good event for me, but I stuck it out and raced the expert class)